Observations from Iraq, Iran, Israel, the Arab world and beyond

IRAQ: Lance Cpl. Hue Moua becomes 'one of the guys'

A classic piece of Americana is the eagerness of immigrants to enlist in the U.S. military to show their appreciation for their adopted country.

Among the latest to follow this pattern are the Hmong of Southeast Asia.

Take Marine Lance Cpl. Hue Moua, 23, who came to this country from Laos when he was 9. He enlisted after graduating from high school in Auburn, Wash., and now is part of a squad providing security in Rawah, once one of the most dangerous spots in Iraq's Anbar province.

An administrative clerk by training, Moua is assigned to an infantry unit. Infantry troops often do not take easily to outsiders -- known somewhat derisively as POGS, "people other than grunts."

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